Book of Shadows (MYTHICAL CREATURES A-Z)

Adze

Adze

Source: Ewe folklore

Located in: Togo and Ghana

        Adzes are a vampire being. In the wild, they take the form of a firefly, but it will transform into human shape upon capture. In human form, they have the power to possess humans, which were old people, women and the poor. When they are captured in their firefly form, they loose this disguise and appear as a human. Their human form is described as a hunchback ugly human with long talons, which was their most dangerous state. In human form it would rip open the abdomen of its next chosen victim, usually the one who captured it, and it would consume their heart and liver before draining them of blood.

        People, male or female, who are possessed by an adze are viewed as witches. Their influence would negatively affect the people who lived around their host. A person is suspected of being possessed in a variety of situations. They are: women with brothers, old people and the poor. Their effects are generally felt by the possessed victim's family or those of whom the victim is jealous.

        In firefly form, the adze would pass through closed doors at night and suck blood from people as they slept. Their victim would fall sick and die in the matter of days. It loves the taste of blood from a child. If  they cannot find blood, they would become frenzied and feed upon coconut water and palm oil from which it would regain its strength and become less aggressive. If humans were to interfere with its diet, it would then produce and carry around a most potent and deadly disease which it would pass onto the next child it sucked blood from. There is no defence against an adze when it's in its firefly form. The only way to destroy one is to capture the Adze and subdue it while its in its hunchback form. Once subdued and bounded the Adze would be executed, slaughtered or given to the families of the Adze victim. If the latter is done, the Adze would meet a slow and painful death.